Jump To:

• balance
  balance

  noun

  a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.
• balancé
  balancé

  noun

  a swaying step performed in place in which the weight is lightly shifted from one foot to the other, the dancer sinking down on the heel of the foot to which the body is shifting, with flexed knees.
• Balance
  Balance

  noun

  the constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac

Trivia Time

Which symbol commonly represents balance?

Test Your Knowledge

balance

¹ American  

[bal-uhns] / ˈbæl əns /

noun

• balances
  plural

1. a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc.

2. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise.

3. mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc.

   Synonyms:

   composure, poise

4. a state of bodily equilibrium.

   He lost his balance and fell down the stairs.

5. an instrument for determining weight, typically by the equilibrium of a bar with a fulcrum at the center, from each end of which is suspended a scale or pan, one holding an object of known weight, and the other holding the object to be weighed.

6. the remainder or rest.

   He carried what he could and left the balance for his brother to bring.

7. the power or ability to decide an outcome by throwing one's strength, influence, support, or the like, to one side or the other.

8. (in winemaking) the degree to which all the attributes of a wine are in harmony, with none either too prominent or deficient.

9. Accounting.

   1. equality between the totals of the two sides of an account.

   2. the difference between the debit total and the credit total of an account.

   3. unpaid difference represented by the excess of debits over credits.

10. an adjustment of accounts.

11. the act of balancing; comparison as to weight, amount, importance, etc.; estimate.

12. preponderating weight.

    The balance of the blame is on your side.

13. Fine Arts. composition or placement of elements of design, as figures, forms, or colors, in such a manner as to produce an aesthetically pleasing or harmoniously integrated whole.

14. Dance. a balancing movement.

15. Also called balance wheel.  Horology. a wheel that oscillates against the tension of a hairspring to regulate the beats of a watch or clock.

16. Astronomy, Astrology. Balance, the constellation or sign of Libra; Scales.

17. Audio. (in a stereophonic sound system) the comparative loudness of two speakers, usually set by a control balancecontrol on the amplifier or receiver.

---

verb (used with object)

• balances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• balanced,
  past participle,  past
• balancing
  present participle

1. to bring to or hold in equilibrium; poise.

   to balance a book on one's head.

2. to arrange, adjust, or proportion the parts of symmetrically.

3. to be equal or proportionate to.

   I'm always happy when cash on hand balances expected expenses.

   One side of an equation must balance the other.

4. Accounting.

   1. to add up the two sides of (an account) and determine the difference.

   2. to make the necessary entries in (an account) so that the sums of the two sides will be equal.

   3. to settle by paying what remains due on an account; equalize or adjust.

5. to weigh in a balance.

6. to estimate the relative weight or importance of; compare.

   to balance all the probabilities of a situation.

7. to serve as a counterpoise to; counterbalance; offset.

   The advantages more than balance the disadvantages.

8. Dance. to move in rhythm to and from.

   to balance one's partner.

verb (used without object)

• balances,
  present (3rd person singular)
• balanced,
  past participle,  past
• balancing
  present participle

1. to have an equality or equivalence in weight, parts, etc.; be in equilibrium.

   The account doesn't balance.

   Do these scales balance?

2. Accounting. to reckon or adjust accounts.

3. to waver or hesitate.

   He would balance and temporize endlessly before reaching a decision.

4. Dance. to move forward and backward or in opposite directions.

idioms

1. in the balance, with the outcome in doubt or suspense.

   While the jury deliberated, his fate rested in the balance.

2. on balance, considering all aspects.

   On balance, the new product is doing well.

balancé ² American  

[bal-uhn-sey, ba-lahn-sey] / ˌbæl ənˈseɪ, ba lɑ̃ˈseɪ /

noun

Ballet.

• balancés
  plural

1. a swaying step performed in place in which the weight is lightly shifted from one foot to the other, the dancer sinking down on the heel of the foot to which the body is shifting, with flexed knees.

---

balance ¹ British  

/ ˈbæləns /

noun

1. a weighing device, generally consisting of a horizontal beam pivoted at its centre, from the ends of which two pans are suspended. The substance to be weighed is placed in one pan and known weights are placed in the other until the beam returns to the horizontal See also microbalance

2. an imagined device for assessing events, actions, motives, etc, in relation to each other (esp in the phrases weigh in the balance , hang in the balance )

3. a state of equilibrium

4. something that brings about such a state

5. equilibrium of the body; steadiness

   to lose one's balance

6. emotional stability; calmness of mind

7. harmony in the parts of a whole

   balance in an artistic composition

8. the act of weighing factors, quantities, etc, against each other

9. the power to influence or control

   he held the balance of power

10. something that remains or is left

    let me have the balance of what you owe me

11. accounting

    1. equality of debit and credit totals in an account

    2. a difference between such totals

12. chem the state of a chemical equation in which the number, kind, electrical charges, etc, of the atoms on opposite sides are equal

13. a balancing movement

14. short for spring balance

15. in an uncertain or undecided condition

16. after weighing up all the factors

17. to make a compromise

---

verb

1. (tr) to weigh in or as if in a balance

2. (intr) to be or come into equilibrium

3. (tr) to bring into or hold in equilibrium

4. (tr) to assess or compare the relative weight, importance, etc, of

5. (tr) to act so as to equalize; be equal to

6. (tr) to compose or arrange so as to create a state of harmony

7. (tr) to bring (a chemical or mathematical equation) into balance

8. (tr) accounting

   1. to compute the credit and debit totals of (an account) in order to determine the difference

   2. to equalize the credit and debit totals of (an account) by making certain entries

   3. to settle or adjust (an account) by paying any money due

9. (intr) (of a business account, balance sheet, etc) to have the debit and credit totals equal

10. to match or counter (one's dancing partner or his or her steps) by moving towards and away from him or her

Balance ² British  

/ ˈbæləns /

noun

1. the constellation Libra, the seventh sign of the zodiac

---

balance Scientific  

/ băl′əns /

1. To adjust a chemical equation so that the number of each type of atom and the total charge on the reactant (left-hand) side of the equation matches the number and charge on the product (right-hand) side of the equation.

---

balance More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing balance

• checks and balances
• hang in the balance
• off balance
• on balance
• redress the balance
• strike a balance
• tip the balance

---

Synonym Usage

See remainder. See symmetry.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• balanceable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• balances
  plural
• balancés
  plural

Participles

• balancing
  present
• balanced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• balance
  simple
• balances
  simple
• have balanced
  perfect
• has balanced
  perfect
• am balancing
  progressive
• are balancing
  progressive
• is balancing
  progressive
• have been balancing
  perfect progressive
• has been balancing
  perfect progressive

Past

• balanced
  simple
• had balanced
  perfect
• was balancing
  progressive
• were balancing
  progressive
• had been balancing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will balance
  simple
• will have balanced
  perfect
• will be balancing
  progressive
• will have been balancing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of balance¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English balaunce, from Anglo-French; Old French balance from Vulgar Latin balancia (unrecorded), variant of bilancia (unrecorded), equivalent to Late Latin bilanc- (stem of bilanx “with double scales,” from Latin bi- bi- ¹ + lanx “metal dish, pan of a pair of scales”) + -ia -ia

Origin of balancé²

First recorded in 1765–75; from French, noun use of past participle of balancer “to balance, swing, rock”

Explanation

Balance is having the right amount — not too much or too little — of any quality, which leads to harmony or evenness. You might admire the balance someone has achieved between working hard and having fun. The noun form of balance can also describe finances: If you're making monthly payments on a loan, the total amount you still owe is the balance. Balance is also the physical steadiness that keeps you on your feet. You balance your weight between both sides of your body. Balance has a verb form that has several shades of meaning, typically involving one thing correctly weighed against another, like when you balance your budget.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

balance Balance balances balanced balancing

Meta’s gigantic “Hyperion” data-center project in Louisiana, which is the size of about 1,700 football fields, helps explain how big obligations wind up off tech companies’ balance sheets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Infant formula is designed to provide the correct balance of nutrients for babies when mothers cannot or choose not to breastfeed, and adding extra water alters that balance.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

Lead author and sport and exercise technology expert Dr. Cody Lindsay says the ankle is essential for maintaining balance while also helping propel the body forward.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 16, 2026

Bicarbonate is essential for regulating the body's acid-base balance.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

He watched as Abby lifted the metal walker and put it down, then leaned on it to balance herself while she stepped forward.

From "Earthquake Terror" by Peg Kehret

Too few private plans agreed to take on the cost, and in April the government shelved Balance indefinitely, extending the intended timeline for Bridge instead and continuing to foot the bill itself through 2027.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026

Florida Montverde Academy owns the national record of 3:31.68, achieved at the 2024 New Balance Nationals Outdoor in Philadelphia, but Wilson’s foursome was content with the state record, at least for now.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026

It’s a good lesson for anyone with dough: Balance your own needs with the needs of others, because you never know when the tide will go out.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

Balance, it seems, is merely an afterthought — or disregarded entirely.

From Salon ● May 7, 2026

Balance is everything, riding out time like a helmless sheep-boat, keel to hellward, mast upreared to prick out heaven’s eye.

From "Grendel" by John Gardner

The creators of today’s tax-advantaged retirement accounts didn’t appear to anticipate the growth in account balances being seen today.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

While the financial situation of the higher education sector may have brought the issue to the fore, she said there were "checks and balances" in place.

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Interest-rate differentials, inflation trends and trade balances are usually thought of as drivers of foreign-exchange movement — but, increasingly, the drivers in the currency market are companies looking to expand their offerings in artificial intelligence.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

Mortgage and student-loan balances marked a slim decline, while home-equity lines of credit, credit-card balances, auto loans rose.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

I stop and she balances her shoe on my leg, then ties it while she hops around on one foot.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

“This emergency declaration enables the City to act swiftly in reducing wildfire risks while continuing our balanced approach that protects both public safety and vulnerable community members.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Anthropic said it worked rigorously to ensure Claude responds in a balanced way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026

"I feel so much better, more clarity, less brain fog and I feel so much more balanced."

From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026

An ultralow-fee adviser at a large firm promised me a balanced portfolio with market-beating returns.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

So we played euchre on a dictionary balanced on his lap, and when that started to prove a bit much we switched to Casino.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

It’s a bit of a balancing act, though, because it’s got to be tempting to get a look at the offense of coordinator Mike McDaniel outside the structure of a practice.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

Running a pharmaceutical company under our dysfunctional system is a high-wire act that requires balancing the high-risk, high-cost business of drug discovery against the dubious math of drug pricing.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026

“It’s a balancing act,” says Kanin, noting everything has to serve the overall story.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

Under Armour said it remains focused on balancing near-term revenue opportunities with actions that strengthen long-term brand health, including disciplined marketplace management and protection of full-price selling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026

I was balancing my lunch tray on my lap in a bathroom stall, my head in a viselike grip between my hands, when my phone buzzed.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi

Related Words

• adjust
• harmonize
• offset
• readjust
• stabilize
• weigh